Business Notebook: Creative Kids, Bellvale Creamery, herbs and spices

Twenty years . . . Creative Kids Preschool is now beginning its 20th year of early childhood education. Staying in business one year - let alone five or 10 years n says the owners are doing something right. But when a business can keep going for 20 years, its success is beyond question. Warwick resident Suzanne LoPresti is the new director and owner of Creative Kids. She has been teaching “Creative Kids” since 1992. The preschool is located at 70 Foley Road in Warwick “I was on the staff as head teacher shortly after my youngest son Raymond graduated from the school,” said LoPresti. “I knew this was something I always wanted to do.” Last year, Eileen Padham, the founder of Creative Kids, decided to pursue other endeavors, and offered LoPresti a chance to carry on the tradition. LoPresti seized the opportunity and moved from her position as head teacher to owner and director of Creative Kids Preschool. Suzanne LoPresti lives in Warwick with her husband, Christopher, and her sons, Christopher and Raymond. She holds both a bachelor of science degree and a master of science degree in education. “Now, with both of my sons in school,” said LoPresti; “I can devote all my time to the children at Creative Kids. This is something I love to do.” LoPresti adds that she has five qualified teachers who realize the importance of the first five years of a child’s life to assist her. “Our program,” she said, “is designed to meet the developmental needs of young children. At our school, we have created a comfortable atmosphere in which creative play and the desire to experience and understand the world around us is nurtured.” LoPresti explained that young children learn by doing. “Each child,” she said, “has the opportunity to create, explore the environment, learn problem solving and personal-interaction skills, and learn concepts through first-hand experiences.” Anyone interested in information about Creative Kids can visit creativekidsofwarwick.com or call 987-1543. Good news . . . If you’re taking an autumn hike along the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, you’ll be happy to know that the Bellvale Creamery and Fresh Produce stand is still open. The ice cream shop and fresh-produce stand is near the famous trail and many hikers look forward to this stop on Route 17A in Warwick. But if you’re driving from Warwick or New York City, just pull over when you get to the top of Mount Peter. The Bellvale Creamery has become a popular destination for day-trippers as well as local residents. Visitors praise homemade ice cream flavors such as the popular “Bellvale Bog,” among a variety of new and traditional flavors. “Ice cream lovers will be happy to learn that the Bellvale Creamery will remain open from noon to 9 p.m. until Dec. 1,” said owner Timothy Noteboom. It’s also “sweet corn” time and almost as important for local residents is that the Bellvale Fresh Produce stand, next to the Creamery, will be open on weekends until Sept. 29. After that, the Bellvale United Methodist Church will move the stand to a spot on Bellvale Lakes Road. Moved . . . Eileen Piasecki-Couch, owner and founder of Pine Island Herb and Spice, recently announced that her 15-year old company had moved to a 1,400-square-foot office/warehouse facility on Transport Lane in Pine Island. The warehouse location also houses a store for customers. Pine Island Herb and Spice produces a line of all-natural gourmet herbs and spices for home and gifts. In addition to herbs and spices, the line includes dips, sauces, “rubs,” seasoning blends, soups and more. Sales are conducted online at www.pineislandherb.com, as well as at the new store and at a selection of retail venues including orchards, supermarkets and specialty stores in the tri-state region. “We made the move to accommodate the growth or our line and the increased demand for our all-natural salt-and-sugar-free dips, blends and sauces,” said Piasecki-Couch who argues that she personally creates each recipe and guarantees satisfaction with both taste and the quality of the herbs and spices. Piasecki Couch now is marketing her lines to supermarket chains in the region. She considers her company a retail as well as a service business. For more product information visit www.pineislandherb.com or call 845-258-HERB (4372). High tech stuff This is for the people who know more about computers and the Internet than we do. WVT Communications has transitioned to a new Web-hosting platform. The new platform gives Web hosting customers a choice of using Windows or Linux operating systems. Officials report that the company also is able to offer new features and added functionality to customers for their Web sites. New features include e-mail-only hosting; full DNS management; registration information management; parking page; domain forwarding and masking; domain tools for modifying their Web sites and an improved store builder to get an online business up and running quickly.